negative 4 or -4 is the answer

Final Answer: The opposite of 4 is -4, which is the number with the reversed sign. On a number line, 4 and -4 are positioned in opposite directions relative to 0. They also cancel each other out when added together, resulting in 0. ; Explanation: The opposite of a number is simply the number with a reversed sign. In other words, if a number is positive, its opposite is negative, and vice versa. For the number 4, which is positive, the opposite would be -4. To understand this better: Positive and Negative Numbers: A positive number is indicated without a sign (e.g., 4), while a negative number has a minus sign in front of it (e.g., -4). Number Line Representation: On a number line, positive numbers are to the right of 0, and negative numbers are to the left. Thus, +4 is to the right of 0 while -4 is to the left, showing that they are opposites of each other. Addition of Opposites: When you add a number and its opposite, the result is always 0. For instance, if you add 4 and -4, you get: 4 + ( − 4 ) = 0 This demonstrates that they completely cancel each other out. ; Examples & Evidence: For instance, the opposite of 3 is -3, the opposite of 10 is -10, and similarly, the opposite of -5 is 5. This pattern shows that every positive number has a corresponding negative number and vice versa. The properties of numbers in mathematics state that every real number has an opposite that can be found by reversing its sign. This concept is fundamental in understanding how numbers interact in arithmetic.